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Hiro the Wise Engine
Dear Friends, I’m sorry to say that not everything in life lasts as long as we’d like. The Mainland has been putting their money toward modernization, and decided to close their special line and put the Upper Valley Railway in charge of the work instead. This also involved selling their prized steam locomotives. Two of these engines were rescued, but one was too expensive. Luckily, he’s found another home far away on another island. We all wish him the very best, and hope to see him again someday. The Author A Day in his Wheels Spring had arrived on the Island, and many visitors from all over the world were coming. Every engine was busy carrying sightseers up and down the line, and through the serene valley. Many visitors were coming from the Mainland, and Hiro and Ryu were busy pulling long passenger trains day and night. One evening, Hiro was waiting at the Valley Station for Ryu, who was late with his train. Ryu finally pulled in, looking very frustrated. “Too many people!” he snorted. “Aren’t the blossoms from their own island pretty enough?” Hiro looked at Ryu’s train, which had much less coaches than his own. “Is that what you consider too much?” he said with a frown. “Oh,” Ryu retorted, “and the ‘Master of the Railway’s trains are such a challenge? You’re always early with your trains! I doubt they could be that hard.” Hiro had an idea to make the younger engine see sense. “Tell you what then,” he said calmly. “Let’s switch our duties for one day. You take my train, and I take yours.” Their Drivers and Firemen talked it over, and agreed to put the plan into action first thing in the morning. The two engines then hurried away with their coaches. Every morning, Hiro collects a goods train from the Mainland and pulls it to the yard far south of the Island. The train requires lots of care, so it wasn’t allowed to cross through the valley. When Ryu watched the diesels shunt the heavy trucks into the siding, he began to panic. “Are you sure I can’t use the valley?” he asked the nearby shunting diesel. “It’ll make the trip much faster.” “Nope, safety regulations,” the diesel snorted. “If Hiro can do it on time, you can too. Quit complaining and get out of here, steamer.” Ryu scowled. “And people call ME rude!” he grunted as he coupled up. It wasn’t long before Ryu was puffing along with the train. He wanted to go faster, but the heavy trucks held him back. Ryu felt himself begin to strain, his face growing a deep shade of red. His Driver eased the regulator. “Steady, boy,” he said. “Don’t stress yourself out.” “But if I don’t go faster,” Ryu complained, “I’ll be late, and the Controller will be cross.” “He’d rather you be late instead of a steaming wreck,” his Driver pointed out. “Now come on.” Ryu hissed between his teeth. He wanted to say more, but he didn’t have any spare steam. When Ryu arrived at the yard, he shunted the train away, and went to the water tower as fast as his tired wheels could carry him. He was just beginning to drink when Hiro thundered past with Ryu’s coaches. Hiro beamed and whistled at Ryu as he hurried along. Ryu could hear the coaches singing. “On time for once! On time for once!” they chattered as they raced by. Ryu blushed crossly as he watched them turn a bend and disappear. “What’s he have that I don’t?” he grumbled to himself. After he finished his long drink, he puffed to the Main Station, where Hiro’s coaches were waiting. Meanwhile, Hiro arrived at the station by the slate mine, where Edward Mann had just arrived with his train. He was very surprised to see the big engine waiting for him. “Hiro!” he laughed. “What are you doing here?” As they exchanged passengers, Hiro told Edward Mann about Ryu. “I hope he sees sense after this,” Hiro sighed. “I don’t want him to get into too much trouble.” “Don’t worry about a thing,” Edward Mann said with a smile. “I’m sure he’ll get better in no time. Why, I remember when I was young and I—” Just then, the Guard’s whistle blew. “Ah, I need to get going,” Hiro said. “Take care!” And he whistled loudly as he pulled out of sight. Hiro arrived at the Valley Station with plenty of time to spare. The people got out, and as Hiro waited calmly for Ryu to arrive, he shunted his own empty coaches away. The time passed. Hiro waited and waited, but there was still no sign of Ryu. Hiro began to worry. “Maybe it was too much for him, and he broke down,” he thought to himself. Just then, there was a woeful whistle, and Ryu crept into the station, red in the face as the heavy train trailed behind him. He braked thankfully, and the passengers swarmed out crossly. They complained at Ryu before talking to the Stationmaster, who promised to put everything right. “Well!” chuckled Hiro as he eyed the exhausted Ryu. “Was that a bit too much for you?” Ryu glared at him, but he was too tired to say a single word. Ryu was too strained and tired to move another wheel, so Hiro coupled up to him and pulled him back home. As the moon came out, the two engines spoke. “I’m sorry about…you know…what I said,” Ryu said meekly. “You really do have it harder than me.” “Don’t worry about it at all,” Hiro smiled. “You put your best effort into your work today, and for that, I’m proud.” “Yeah, but my best wasn’t good enough,” grumbled Ryu. “What’s your secret, Hiro? How do you manage all that work?” Hiro laughed. “There’s nothing secretive about determination,” he said. “What, did you read that fortune at a shrine or something?” Ryu snickered. “Well there was this time when I went to Kyoto…” Hiro began, and the two chattered happily all the way home. The Wind and Runaway No. 12 is a tank engine who shunted goods and passenger trains for the Mainland’s engines. He lived at the terminus just before the bridge that leads to the Mainland. He’s a diligent worker, but tends to get flustered when things go wrong. He was especially frustrated with trucks; they treat him terribly because they know he can’t shout at them. They would laugh and sing loudly, and hold back when he tried to shunt them. One evening, Hiro was on the turntable when he saw No. 12 bashing the trucks furiously. He sighed and puffed over to him. “Don’t let them get to you,” he said. “The more you bump them, the more they’ll pick on you.” No. 12 didn’t answer. He just wheeshed miserably and pushed the remaining trucks into the siding. The following morning was very windy, and No. 12 shunted a long line of heavy coal trucks. Ryu was supposed to collect them and bring them up the Ice Line later that day. But as the engine rested in his siding, there was trouble. The Stationmaster from the nearby station had just gotten a call that Ryu had derailed, and No. 12 had to take the train. His Driver agreed. “We’ll give it our best,” he said bravely, and No. 12 reversed onto the train. No. 12 frowned, his cylinders hissing crossly. “Don’t be like that,” snapped his Driver. “You can handle this train just fine.” No. 12 made good time, but just before the Ice Line was a tall hill. There were no trees here, so the wind battered him. As he climbed, the wind picked up, and the trucks began to sing. “He thinks he can pull us all, we’ll break our chain and down we’ll fall!” they chanted. Struggling, No. 12 pulled harder on the trucks. As the wind grew stronger, the trucks’ chanting grew louder. “You can do it!” encouraged his Driver. “Don’t let them beat you!” But just as they reached the top, there was a terrible snapping sound. The driver and fireman looked back to see the trucks rolling backwards down the hill, picking up speed as the wind pushed them along. No. 12 puffed ahead to the nearest signalbox, and the Driver told the signalman what had happened. It wasn’t long before everywhere down the line, all the points were changed to let the runaway pass, and all trains were stopped. Hiro was taking on water in a siding when he saw the trucks thunder past him. He was horrified. “If they keep going,” he said, “there’ll be an accident!” He hurried to the nearest station, and his Driver spoke with the Stationmaster. Hiro had a plan: using the valley line, they could overtake the trucks and stop them before they crashed. After an agreement and telephone to the signalman, a workman came and climbed into the tender, and Hiro boldly puffed towards the valley. “How fast can I go?” Hiro asked his driver as they picked up speed. His driver grinned. “As fast as you’d like, old boy,” he replied. “Perfect,” Hiro said. He went faster and faster, his wheels pounding the rails beneath him. The little engines on the line below watched in amazement as Hiro rocketed by. Hiro whistled loudly as he passed the signalbox at the end of the valley line. Behind him, he could see the runaway trucks, clattering behind him. Having the trucks now right where he wanted them, Hiro began to slow down. Gradually the trucks caught up with him, and with a loud clang, their buffers hit Hiro’s. “Got them!” shouted his Driver. Gently, he eased on the brakes, and when the speed was reduced enough, the workman climbed down and coupled Hiro to the train. It wasn’t long before the runaway train was under control and, tired but triumphant, Hiro came to a stop at the Lower Coast Station. As he puffed back to find No. 12, he passed through the Main Station. To his amazement, a crowd of people had gathered on the platform, and they were cheering for him. There were even people taking his photograph. The Big Controller came out and thanked Hiro’s crew, and then spoke specially to the big engine. “Well done, Hiro,” he said with a warm smile. “Your quick action prevented what could have been a horrible accident. I’ll have to write to your controller immediately about this.” Hiro beamed from buffer to buffer. “Thank you, sir,” he said happily. Hiro delivered No. 12’s trucks safely, and that night, he told the other engines what had happened. Ryu was amazed by the story. But No. 12, embarrassed, hardly paid attention. Hiro spoke kindly to him. “What happened to you could’ve happened to any engine,” he said. “It most certainly wasn’t your fault.” No. 12 just gave Hiro a sorrowful look before glancing away. “Besides,” Hiro said, “if you hadn’t warned the signalman, those trucks could have hit another engine. That was very brave of you.” No. 12 smiled slightly. “Not to mention,” Hiro whispered, “even after that, I bet you can handle trucks better than Ryu…” “Hey now, what?” snapped Ryu crossly, but not even he could stay upset when he saw No. 12 burst into a fit of laughter. Something Must Be Done Things began to change for the three Mainland engines. Every day, they saw more and more diesels crawling around the yard, and the engines had less work to do. They began to worry. “It won’t be long now,” Ryu growled under his breath. “Our Controller will come any day now, and say ‘Okay you lot, we’re going to scrap you now, thanks for everything’.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” Hiro said defiantly. “We’ve been working for this line for far too long to be scrapped now.” “Really?” Ryu said. “Well then, why have we already been replaced in such a short period of time? If we’re so important and vital for the line, why aren’t we doing any work?” “Well…” Hiro began, but as the black diesels rumbled by, he couldn’t think of anything to say. Ryu was right. A few days later, their Controller arrived. He avoided making eye contact with the engines; his face was nearly buried into his clipboard. “So,” he said, “as part of our new modernization plan, we’re going to have to sell you three off.” The engines stared in dismay and disbelief. “You two,” their Controller went on, pointing at Ryu and No. 12, “already have a buyer lined up, but as for you…” he continued, his pen pointing towards Hiro, “we still need to find somebody. If nobody offers, we may have to sell you for scrap.” Hiro, for the first time in ages, looked scared. Their Controller didn’t even offer a single word of encouragement or hope. He just walked away. Ryu and No. 12 were ordered to go to the Island to the big sheds, and to bring Hiro with them, for the time being. After Hiro settled in, the other two engines hurried away to the Main Station to find the Big Controller. It wasn’t long before all of the engines on the Island knew of Hiro’s plight. Smudger was talking to Edward Mann about it one morning. “It’s a crime shame,” he said. “Isn’t there anything we can do?” Edward Mann thought for a moment. “There’s a special visitor coming tomorrow,” he said, “and I’ve heard him grumbling about needing an engine. He might be the Controller of another railway.” Smudger was interested. “So what should we do?” he asked. “Well,” Edward Mann said with a grin, “remember how we rescued Morning Light?” Smudger realized what he meant, and beamed. He spoke to his Driver about the idea, who talked to the signalmen and workmen. They all agreed that something must be done for Hiro, and began to make their plan. The following morning, Smudger arrived at the station to collect his Special. Yume was there, aware of the plan, but keeping very quiet. She winked at Smudger as they coupled up. On the platform were the Little and Big Controllers. With them was a stout gentleman, along with his wife and a translator. Smudger was supposed to be taking them through the valley for a special scenic tour. They came to the junction where the valley line meets the dual gauge lines. These are special lines that both stand and narrow gauge engines can use, and this line was built between the harbor and the Big Sheds. Smudger came to a stop. Surprised by the sudden stop, the Little Controller peaked out of Yume. “What’s the holdup?” he asked. “Just sanding the rails,” Smudger’s driver lied. When the Little Controller wasn’t watching, the Driver changed the points, and Smudger puffed onto the line leading to the Big Sheds. The two Controllers were so busy talking to their special guest that they never noticed that they were going the wrong way. Smudger stopped in a siding just outside the sheds. The group got out of Yume. They were very surprised to see where they were. “What on Earth?” exclaimed the Big Controller. “What are we doing here?” But the stout gentleman was looking at the sheds. There, slowly puffing out of the shed and whistling grandly, was one of the most amazing engines he had ever seen. Hiro smiled at the stout man, who couldn’t take his eyes off the extraordinary engine. “What an amazing machine!” the stout gentleman said. “An engine like this one would be perfect for my railway!” All at once, the two Controllers realized what Smudger had done, and grinned. “Well,” the Big Controller said as the translator spoke his words in English, “you should talk to his Controller. He says if he doesn’t find this engine a buyer soon, he may be sold for scrap.” “Scrap?” the stout gentleman said with surprise. “Oh gracious no, that would never do! Take me to him immediately!” As they hurried off to find Naomi, Hiro beamed at Smudger. “Thank you,” he said gratefully. “You’re truly one of the best friends I could ever have.” Smudger felt so proud that his boiler might burst! Farewell, Hiro! Preparations took some time, but at long last, Hiro’s Controller agreed to sell him. All of the engines were overjoyed when they heard the news. The Big Controller explained everything. “And on Saturday,” he said, “Hiro will arrive at the harbor, and the ship will take him to his new railway.” The engines suddenly weren’t as happy. “A ship?” asked Misaki. “As in, Hiro’s going away?” “Yes, very far away,” the Big Controller said. Suddenly, none of the engines felt as happy anymore. The Big Controller was upset too, but tried very hard to hide it. After the Big Controller left, all the engines talked to Hiro. “Don’t worry,” Morning Light said. “On Friday, we’re going to give you a big send-off party.” “Yes indeed,” Naomi said. “It’ll be like our New Year’s party, but better!” “And there’ll be a special train too,” Katsu put in. “You’ll be hauling one of the grandest trains on the whole Island!” “It’ll be great,” put in Ryu as No. 12 whistled in agreement. “I mean, it’s the only way to say goodbye to the Master of the Railway, right?” Surrounded by his friends who all wanted to make him happy, Hiro could hardly stay upset. That night, everybody talked about the big celebration. Word got around, and by the time Friday came around, the Main Station was packed with railway enthusiasts from all over the Island and Mainland. They all wanted a last trip behind the Master of the Railway before he left. Hiro couldn’t believe how many people were photographing him; he didn’t know which way to look! As he pulled away with his grand train, there were even more enthusiasts all through the valley. They smiled and waved at him, and took as many pictures as they could. Hiro whistled loudly as he passed his friends, and they would smile and whistle back. That evening, Hiro arrived at the Valley Station, where all of the Big Controller’s engines were waiting for him. They cheered as he pulled in with his train, and the real party began. Hiro was amazed at how beautifully the station was decorated. There was even a wonderful new painting of Hiro hanging on the wall. Everybody had an enjoyable evening, but soon, it was time for Hiro to go to the harbor. All of the engines were sorry to see him leave. They all whistled goodbye as Hiro thundered away. He even got to stop at the museum and say goodbye to Takao. But out on that cool night, Hiro began to feel his happiness leave him. He watched longingly as he passed his favorite stations and lines. “How could I ever leave…?” he whispered to himself. At the harbor, Hiro parked close to the ship, which would be loading him on board first thing in the morning. The salty sea air whistled quietly around him. Hiro had never felt so alone in his entire life. Just then, he heard a little engine nearby. He glanced down and saw Smudger puffing alongside, some workmen’s trucks trailing behind him. “Smudger?” he asked. “What are you doing here?” “Oh,” Smudger said, “I’m just working here for the night. They need everything to be ready for tomorrow.” “Ah.” Hiro sighed. “I’m going to miss this Island,” he said sadly. “There are so many memories. I remember my first day, in fact…” Interested, Smudger shunted the trucks into a siding, and stayed next to Hiro to listen to his story. Hiro and Smudger talked all through the night and into the morning, sharing their adventures from the Island and talking about their friends. As the sun came out over the sea, more engines began to appear, all wanting to hear Hiro’s famous stories. Before long, all of Hiro and Smudger’s friends had arrived, and it was nearly time for the ship to leave. Guests and enthusiasts all gathered around the dock, and the two Controllers soon arrived with the Representative. When the stout gentleman arrived with his wife, they shook the Controllers’ hands and waved to the crowd before boarding the ship. The Representative gave a long, beautiful speech and gave the famous engine his blessing, and Hiro was pushed into the siding by Katsu, ready to be loaded. Just before Hiro was loaded away, Smudger came up to talk one last time. “Hiro,” he said, “I just wanted to say…what you told me when you first met…you were right. And…thank you, Hiro, for being one of the best friends I could ever have.” Hiro gave a gentle smile. “Of course,” he said. “And…” Smudger forced back tears. “No matter what happens, wherever you go, just always remember you’ll always have a home here.” Hiro’s eyes moistened. “Thank you, Smudger. And thank you, all of you…” Hiro was soon on the ship, getting one last look at his friends. They call cheered and whistled goodbye to their friend, the Master of the Railway, as the ship pulled away from the harbor into the sparkling blue sea.